Humans responsible for rise in global temperatures

Kolkata: Scientific evidence collected in the past two decades have shown that humans have played a significant role in the rise of global temperature over the past century estimated to be 0.6°C.

"Climatologists have predicted that by the end of century, increase in carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) emission due to burning fossil fuels and land-use changes can cause the average temperature to rise by five to six degrees celsius worldwide," a report released by independent environment watchdog Greenpeace here has claimed.

Even a rise of 2°C will render major parts of the earth's surface uninhabitable, wiping out large numbers of species in the planet, the report says.

Just within the next 50 years, there will be more heat waves, rise in summer temperatures and fewer cold winters, drier summers, wetter winters and rising sea levels.

Claiming that CO₂ emission, the principal greenhouse gas, has risen more than ten-fold since the start of the industrial revolution, the report said that fast-growing countries like India and China are rapidly becoming significant emitters.

"Indeed both the countries are still relatively modest contributors to total CO₂ concentrations (about 3% and 8%), compared with about 60% for the US and the European Union combined. But the US, India and China will account for the bulk of the growth in the next quarter century, it says.
Source : PTI